Alexander-Arnold injury + Salah’s feather loss

A couple of injury scares, a missed penalty and a red card couldn’t stop Liverpool from emerging 3-1 winners over Bournemouth.

An eventful match at Anfield is the last game of Gameweek 2 to receive the Scout Notes treatment.

DÍAZ + ALEXANDER-ARNOLD INJURIES SCARES

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.0 million) and luis diaz (£7.6m) sparked injury concerns after being substituted late in the Merseyside match. Alexander-Arnold was limping when he got out, while Diaz received on-field treatment immediately before being hooked.

Klopp spoke about the loss of the right back.

“Wait [he’s OK]. He told me that now they kicked him and it hurt a lot, but as far as he felt that he didn’t twist or whatever, it was a kick and that’s why we changed then. But I hope he’s okay.” – Jurgen Klopp on Trent Alexander-Arnold

However, the Liverpool manager didn’t really acknowledge any problems for Diaz, instead talking about another excellent performance from the winger.

“When Lucho is in shape, I think no one doubts his quality. It was an exceptional goal that he scored, an absolutely exceptional goal. First class, in very good shape, but the second part was also very hard for him. Being part of this new midfield [after the red card], that was very difficult for him and you could see that. On top of that, as long as he was cool and all, he was obviously super, super. A massive threat to everyone. He is in a good moment, there is no doubt about that ”. – Jurgen Klopp on Luis Diaz

Diaz scored twice in as many games with an excellent effort against Bournemouth. Mohamed Salah (£12.5 million) and Diogo Jotá (£8.0m) added goals thereafter, with the Egyptian scoring from the rebound after his penalty was saved.

Meanwhile, it was just like old times for Alexander-Arnold as he ‘invested’ less and less as the game progressed (especially after Alexis McAllister(£6.0m) prompted a switch to 4-4-1) and mostly shared set pieces with andres robertson (£6.5 million). Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m), who had been stepping in on dead ball duties, took just one of Liverpool’s 11 corners/free kicks crosses.

Three shots and as many chances created were recorded by the right-back.

HOW MANY GAMES WILL MAC ALLISTER MISS?

With Mac Allister’s red card the result of serious foul play, the Argentine will miss Liverpool’s next three games.

They will all be league games, too, with no EFL Cup draw to soak up part of the ban.

So Mac Allister won’t be participating in Gameweeks 3-5, and will return in Gameweek 6 in over a month.

That is if Liverpool fail with their appeal, and it sounds a lot like them. willpower appeal, such was the controversial nature of the dismissal.

“I think the number of times I was asked about it [by the media] shows that it’s worth discussing again, which we probably will.

“I think it is a decision in which we all agree if a yellow card is issued, the VAR will not annul it. He drew a red card and the VAR does not cancel it because the contact means that there is not a clear and evident [error]. Mistake, but I think the punishment [of] 40 minutes with 10 men in that weather today is punishment enough, but let’s see. I don’t know. We have to talk to the authorities.” – Jurgen Klopp on Alexis Mac Allister’s red card

WILL SALAH STAY IN PENS?

Salah’s miss was his third from the point in five attempts.

Klopp was not asked about the Egyptian’s position in the penalty kick pecking order after the match, but it was only earlier this year that the player and coach had a “conversation” about Salah’s role from 12 o’clock. yards.

The Egypt international held on to penalty-taking duties after that talk, but this latest mishap will put pressure on him again.

There’s Mac Allister (nine career penalties from 10 attempts), Szoboszlai (15 of 16) and Darwin Nunez (£7.5m, 11 for 11) waiting in the wings, in case Klopp decides to give someone else a chance.

Salah’s appeal to the FPL would take another blow if he missed the point shots.

Diaz, for almost £5.0m less, is beating his teammate in expected goal participation without penalty (NPxGI) at this very moment. very early stage of 2023/24.

However, wider ranges of data are always helpful for context: Salah bested every other FPL midfielder for NPxGI in 2022/23.

£4.5m anticipated and scores

Bournemouth were the last club to make the Liverpool defense look vulnerable, although the Reds were much improved after the first quarter of an hour.

At that point, antoine semenyo (£4.5m) had opened the scoring after an Alexander-Arnold error.

Now there are two attack returns in as many weeks of play, after his assist from the bench in the first weekend.

There are no cheaper forwards than Semenyo in the game right now. Fifteen of the 20 listed at £4.5m have not even set foot on the field in 2023/24 so far.

It has come out of nowhere, really, after an operation ruled him out of the entire preseason.

But he was arguably the Cherries’ most dangerous player at Anfield, excelling in a right-wing role. In addition to the goal, he was close on another occasion and took advantage of a glorious occasion that kieffer moore (£5.0 million) rejected.

Andoni Iraola’s troops have received a lot of encouragement in the first two Matchdays, although they have conceded more shots than any other team in the Premier League in that time. Next up for the Cherries defense: Ange Postecoglou’s enthusiastic Tottenham Hotspur…